A list of characters from the Red Queen series.

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Newbloods/Ardents

Mare Barrow

The protagonist of the series. Seventeen-year-old Mare spends most of her days committing petty theft and ditching school in the Stilts. Due to an unfortunate accident while working in the royal family's summer castle, Mare's latent superhuman abilities are discovered by the Silvers. She is forced to live among them with a new identity while they figure out how to use her for their own gain. Mare is eventually recruited by the revolutionary Scarlet Guard, but it seems they are just as determined to exploit her powers.

Action Girl: While living with the Silvers, she participates in daily training sessions to hone her abilities.
Ambiguously Brown: At one point, states everything about her appearance is brown.
Babies Ever After: Twenty years after Norta's fall, Mare is married to Cal and has a son named Shade and a daughter named Coriane.
Becoming the Mask: Mare has to temporarily pretend to be a noble-born Silver and ends up internalizing her princess lessons and the behavior of other Silvers. By Glass Sword, it's clear that this experience had an effect on her personality.
Belated Love Epiphany: Mare doesn't admit her feelings for Maven until after he's already betrayed her.
Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Kilorn.
Byronic Hero: Has strong ideals but is prone to bouts of selfishness and isn't above manipulating others to achieve her goals.
Declaration of Protection: Is almost obsessed with her need to protect Kilorn and keep him away from danger.
Earn Your Happy Ending: She eventually marries Cal, has two children with him, and continues serving with the Scarlet Guard.
Embarrassing Nickname: Mare is given the nickname “little lightning girl” by Queen Elara. It ends up sticking with her throughout the series.
Love Makes You Dumb: Is constantly getting manipulated and betrayed by people she loves. It takes her awhile to wise up.
Meaningful Name: Mare means "of the sea" and she's from the Stilts (also known as Albanus), a village on the banks of the Capital River.
My God, What Have I Done?: While the action is revealed to be the act of Maven, she feels responsible for the bombing of the Hall of the Sun that kills a lot of innocent Silvers, including children.
Official Couple: With Cal.
Percussive Pickpocket: Her preferred method of stealing.
Satisfied Street Rat: While not an orphan or abandoned, Mare grew up mostly in the streets and trained herself since the very beginning to a harsh life of cat-and-mouse due to her pickpocketing tendencies. Plus, she has a very ruthless view on Silvers due to their treatment of her people and does not hesitate to hurt them if she has to.
Star-Crossed Lovers: She and Cal clash not only because of social status but also because of differing views of the world. This all comes to a head at the end of King's Cage, where she decides to leave Cal to take the Nortan throne.
Shock and Awe: Discovers she has power over electricity and can even generate it herself.
Vitriolic Best Buds: With Evangeline as of War Storm. Due to her personality, she often make new friends through this route; her relationship with Farley starts like this too, before they become as close as sisters.

Shade Barrow

Mare's older brother, he is the third of the five Barrow siblings and is the closest to Mare both in age and relationship. Like his brothers, he's off to conscription at the start of the series, but unfortunately is told to have been captured by the enemies and beheaded. Mare later finds out that he is like her: a Red who has Silver-like powers. The ending of the first book reveals that he's alive and well, having faked his death earlier on.

Beta Couple: He's in a relationship with Farley, though it doesn't last long.
Big Brother Instinct: Mare remembers him the most fondly out of all her brothers, as he's the only one who didn't bully her and attempt to understand her. This is shown when he gets into the plot in Glass Sword, where he refuses to leave Mare even when her quest for gathering newbloods is dangerous. Then he performs his Heroic Sacrifice...(see below).
The Big Guy: Of Mare's newblood company in Glass Sword.
Faking the Dead: He faked his death at the Choke so he could escape and finally join the Scarlet Guard.
Heroic Sacrifice: Jumps in front of Mare just as Ptolemus' metal is about to hit her. It slices through his heart, killing him instantly.
Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Gets impaled by a metal that slices through his heart.
Nice Guy: Shade is one of the consistently nice guys in the series, not having mean thoughts about anyone even when he hates them and always rationalizes any decisions taken. He's also one of the few people whom Mare can always trust no matter what.
Someone to Remember Him By: After he dies, Farley gives birth to his daughter, Clara.
Teleportation: His newblood power.
Teleport Spam: Weaponizing his teleportation nets this.
Too Good for This Sinful Earth: One of the few Only Sane Man in this world gets killed at his twenties for protecting his Guile Hero sister.

Nix Marsten

Mare's first newblood recruit, Nix is a war veteran who lost his daughters to conscription to fight at the Choke, which Cal is partly responsible for.

Accuser of the Brethren: Never forgives Cal even when the latter blatantly apologizes for what he did.
The Big Guy: Together with Shade in Mare's newblood company.
Grumpy Old Man: He's middle aged and quite grumpy for what Norta had done to his family.
Intergenerational Friendship: He gets along well with Kilorn.
Killed Offscreen: Mare doesn't meet him again after the attack on the Corros Prison, and he's later stated to be one of the casualties of the jailbreak.
Outliving One's Offspring: Nix's daughters died during the war with the Lakelands whose order was sent by Cal.
Shell-Shocked Veteran: Participated in the conscription and lived to tell the tale.
Super-Toughness: His newblood power.
You Killed My Father: Hates Cal for ordering his daughters to go to war, which got them killed.

Ada Wallace

Mare's second newblood recruit, Ada serves as a servant of a Silver family in Harbor Bay before going rogue with Mare. She is quickly trained to become a teaching assistant and a pilot for the transports.

Badass Bookworm: Thanks to her eidetic memory, she can recall things she read from books. If those are strategy and war books, well...
Photographic Memory: Her newblood power allows her to perfectly memorize all things she experiences.
The Smart Guy: Of Mare's newblood company.

Harrick

Mare's newblood recruit who is able to conjure illusions and create deceptions.

Master of Illusion: His illusions can deceive people by constructing an invisible wall or creating an imaginary explosion.

Nanny

The eldest of the newbloods Mare recruited.

Achilles' Heel: Her shapeshifting is nearly perfect, but someone with a predictive power is still able to point out the glamour.
Better to Die than Be Killed: Like Walsh, she swallows the suicide pill to kill herself before the Silvers can interrogate her.
Cool Old Lady: Despite being old, she's actually the most chipper of all newbloods.
Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu?: Just before she dies, she turns into Elara, both to give her time to kill herself and to spite Maven and Samson.
Face Death with Dignity: Calmly accepts capture and chooses to kill herself using the suicide pill.
Master of Disguise: Is able to shapeshift into anyone she has ever seen.
Never Mess with Granny: If you have shapeshifting as an ability, you don't need to fear age to hinder you.

Jon

A mysterious newblood who has a remarkable power to predict fate.

The Mole: While initially harmless, Mare finds out that he has been communicating with Maven to capture her, after which Maven treats him as royalty would. Subverted, however, all of them are part of what fate entails, as he gets the hell out of Maven's grasp once his role is fulfilled and even saves Mare along the way.
The Chessmaster: His sole appearance in War Storm has him heavily implying that he set the events of the series in motion by killing Kilorn's master.
The Omniscient: Knows an awful lot about the future of everyone. He even knows what people would say in advance.
You Can't Fight Fate: He never wants to reveal what he sees to others, because it will eventually happen to them. Sometimes he gives sneak peeks, though, like Farley's pregnancy.

Cameron Cole

A runaway newblood who is one of Mare's first potential recruits, but because of Maven's attack, she has to back down. Cameron is later met while escaping from the Corros Prison on the way to help her brother, Morrey, escape from the Choke, and she reluctantly joins Mare's company.

And I Must Scream: Her ability allows her to disable anyone's power and sensory perceptions. They're as terrifying as they sound.
And Now for Someone Completely Different: Narrates several chapters of King's Cage to give perspective on what the Scarlet Guard is doing while Mare is imprisoned by Maven.
Big Sister Instinct: She'll do anything to rescue Morrey from conscription.
Cold-Blooded Torture: She does this to the Silver guards of the Corros Prison by disabling all of their sensory perceptions.
Defrosting Ice Queen: She's may be the queen of ultimate jerkassness, but the moment that Mare says that she will help the Reds conscripted at the Choke, Cameron noticeably acts (slightly) nicer. By King's Cage, she has calmed enough to allow herself receive a hug from Mare after the latter's rescue from Archeon.
Demoted to Extra: Is offscreen for much of War Storm, then returns in a lesser role for a few chapters.
Good Is Not Nice: Does not hesitate to not just kill, but torture the Silver guards before she kills them.
Jerkass Has a Point: She correctly points out that Mare's decision to prioritize only newbloods in her quest to topple the Silver Elites will only cause them to ascend to the Silvers' former throne and promptly enslave the helpless Reds.
Second Love: For Kilorn, in War Storm.
Sixth Ranger: Doesn't join the team until late in the second book and is still uncertain about her position.
Token Minority: She's one of the few people who is explicitly described to have dark skin.

Dane Davidson

The Premier of the Free Republic of Montfort.

Barrier Warrior: Has the ability to generate force fields that repel attacks.
Big Good: As a top leader of the Scarlet Guard.
Enemy Mine: Leads the Scarlet Guard to cooperate with the Kingdom of Rift, which mostly consists of Silvers. By the end of King's Cage, he assures Mare that this is merely a deception.
Frontline General: A necessity given his ability to shield his soldiers from being attacked.
Manipulative Bastard: Takes the children of Bracken so Piedmont will cooperate with the Scarlet Guard. His words to Mare at the end of the third book state that he will never truly want to ally with the Silvers.

Reds

Kilorn Warren

Mare's Childhood Friend from the Stilts. When he loses his apprenticeship due to the death of his mentor, he faces mandatory conscription into Norta's army. Wanting to save him, Mare makes the Silvers spare him when she becomes their prisoner. He eventually joins up with the Scarlet Guard.

Anguished Declaration of Love: Has one to Mare in Glass Sword, asking her who she would choose: him and a normal life, or Cal and an uncertain life. She chooses the latter.
Badass Normal: Not having superpowers doesn't stop him from participating in the rebellion.
Belligerent Sexual Tension: With Mare.
Betty and Veronica: The Veronica to Mare's Archie and Cal's Betty, although Kilorn is the best friend.
Childhood Friend Romance: He's in love with Mare since they were children, but by the time that he's gotten the gut to confess it, Cal has shown up in their life. Ironically, Mare has once or twice fantasized ending up with Kilorn should any of the book's events do not happen to her.
Expy: Of Gale Hawthorne.
For Want Of A Nail: Nearly everything in the series happens because of Kilorn. If Kilorn doesn't lose his apprenticeship, he wouldn't go to Mare, who wouldn't try to search for money, which wouldn't lead to her meeting with Cal, who wouldn't invite her to attend the Queenstrial...etc.
Intergenerational Friendship: He gets along well with Nix Marsten, who is several decades older than him.
Non-Action Guy: Despite being fit enough to enlist in the military, Kilorn is no way a match for superpower-laden fights in the Silver in-fighting and has to back down from participating in more dangerous infiltrations.
Parental Abandonment: His father died in the war, while his mother abandoned him. He is effectively the Barrows' sixth child and fourth son.
Second Love: Cameron is his, after he finally moves on from Mare in War Storm.

Gisa Barrow

Mare's younger sister and the youngest of the Barrow siblings. Gisa formerly worked as an apprentice of a seamstress, but breaks her hand during her attempt to help Mare find money to hide Kilorn.

All Love Is Unrequited: She has a crush on Kilorn, which he never reciprocates (or notices). She gets over it in War Storm, as she meets a girl in a jewelry shop offscreen near the end of the book.
Ambiguously Bi: Has a crush on Kilorn for most of the series, yet is mentioned as having met and implied to have fallen for a girl in a jewelry shop offscreen near the end of War Storm.
In-Series Nickname: "Gee".
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: Tries to help Mare find gold to buy Kilorn' escape, but ends up having her hand broken in the process.
She Is All Grown Up: Mare notices this pretty quickly thanks to not seeing her for six months in King's Cage.
Textile Work Is Feminine: Sewing.
Wise Beyond Their Years: She has been helping the family at the tender age of 14. Mare describes that the family can be saved just by Gisa's work.

Bree and Tramy Barrow

Mare's two eldest brothers. The two are participating in Norta's conscription at the beginning of Red Queen, but later come home in the middle of the novel.

Big Brother Bully: Bree bullies Shade whenever possible, and Tramy mostly tags along.
Blood Knight: Bree has shades of this.
Caring Gardener: War Storm mentions Tramy's interest in gardening several times. He is very happy in Montfort because of it.
Dumb Muscle: Bree.
11th-Hour Ranger: At the last several pages of Glass Sword, the two join Mare's team about to free the Reds at the Choke.
Gender-Blender Name: Bree. For those who don't know, it's a very, very feminine Irish name. However, since thousands of years have passed since the time of our world, culture may give way to a change.
Manly Tears: Upon being reunited with Mare in King's Cage.
Those Two Guys: The two are always described together, mostly because Tramy tags to Bree whenever possible. It's rectified somewhat in King's Cage, where the two are differentiated, but still they appear in every scene together.

Daniel and Ruth Barrow

Mare's parents. Daniel is a veteran of Norta's conscription, while Ruth is a homemaker.

Almighty Mom: If Ruth wants her family to do something, they will do it. Not even Mare's newblood ability can shield her from it.
Good Parents: Always have advice for Mare even as the latter's life becomes increasingly chaotic.
Outliving One's Offspring: Specifically, Shade.
Papa Wolf: Daniel immediately objects to Mare, Bree, and Tramy participating in the rescue of the Reds at the Choke. He only relents because everyone else in the room votes otherwise.
Parental Substitute: Both are this to Kilorn, since his father is dead and his mother abandoned him when he was young.
Shell-Shocked Veteran: Years of spending his life at the Choke has not done Daniel well. Plus, he has to deal with his limp legs, as well. He bonds further with Mare due to their shared experiences, and relocating to Montfort with his family eventually does wonders for his health.
Stepford Smiler: Ruth may be this. She always tries to keep a smile even when having to face a disabled husband and five teenage/adult children who all are in danger of dying in conscription.

Diana Farley

A captain of the Scarlet Guard who hailed from Norta's northern neighbor, the Lakelands. Mare first meets Farley in the Stilts while trying to find a way to help Kilorn escape conscription. Farley later recruits Mare, Kilorn, and Maven to the Red Guard's cause.

Action Mom: Despite having given birth just weeks earlier, she takes the frontline in the battle to defend Corvium.
Beta Couple: She has a stable relationship with Shade, which contrasts with Mare and Cal's Will They or Won't They?. Unfortunately, it doesn't last long.
Big Good: She acts as one for the first two books. By the third, her presence has been overshadowed by her father and Davidson, but she still continues to act as a source of wisdom for Mare.
The Captain: Farley commands the Scarlet Guard's presence in Norta.
Colonel Badass: Promoted to colonel in the middle of King's Cage, therefore placing her in the same rank as her father, much to his chagrin.
Cool Big Sis: Is this to Mare and Kilorn, since she's only a few years older than them. By King's Cage, she has also become one to Cameron.
Fantastic Racism: Although Reds and Silvers largely keep it to themselves, Farley is notable for holding extreme hatred against Silvers, treating anyone unfamiliar to her with utter scorn, much like how the Silver Elites see her kind. She can tolerate Silvers (as she does with Cal), but she has a strict criteria for it. She has her personal reasons for it, though.
Four-Star Badass: By the epilogue of Broken Throne, Farley is the General of the Scarlet Guard.
The Maiden Name Debate: Though justified since she never legally marries Shade. Her daughter, Clara, has the full name Clara Farley-Barrow.
Missing Mom: Her mother was killed when King Cygnet ordered their village to be inundated.
Pregnant Badass: Stays active in the military even as her bump grows larger. In fact, she actually manages to get a promotion while being so.
Good Is Not Nice: She's not above assassinating Silver targets for the greater good.
Rebel Leader: She leads the resistance effort against the Silver reign.
Someone to Remember Him By: Gives birth to Shade's daughter Clara during the third book.
Team Mom: Of Mare's company and the Scarlet Guard.

Tristan

A member of the Scarlet Guard and Farley's right-hand man.

Cruel and Unusual Death: Getting frozen and heated up over and over is not a good way to die.
The Determinator: Refuses to divulge anything about the attack on the Hall of the Sun even as he is enduring on a slow death.

Walsh

A member of the Scarlet Guard who is tasked in the invasion of Archeon. She is about Mare's age.

Better to Die than Be Killed: Chooses to commit suicide rather than becoming tortured and forced to divulge secrets about the Scarlet Guard.

Willis Farley

A Lakelander colonel who is tasked to oversee the Scarlet Guard's operatives in Norta. As you can guess, he is the father of (Diana) Farley, with whom he has a particularly sour relationship, though being on the same side means they have to put that difference aside and work together.

Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Despite humiliating Farley almost in the entirety of Glass Sword, Farley is still his daughter. When Mare tells the Colonel that Farley survived the attack on Corros Prison, the Colonel is visibly relieved.
Colonel Badass: Leading armies upon armies of angry Reds is not an easy thing.
Defrosting Ice King: He is cold to everyone in his introduction, and Mare is no exception. However, he softens up to her once the latter has killed Elara, confirms his daughter's survival, plus her strange choice to choose to lead the rebellion inside Norta as opposed to take up the offer to build it in outside.
Outliving One's Offspring: His youngest daughter died during a flood caused by Lakeland nymphs, alongside his wife.
Parents as People: He is not on good terms with Farley.
Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Isn't affectionate with Farley, but the powers above keep teaming them up together as they produce the best teamwork.

Morrey Cole

Cameron's twin brother who is conscripted by Norta after the change of law following the Hall of the Sun bombing. Unlike her, he is an ordinary Red.

Distressed Dude: Is taken hostage by the Silvers at Corvium so Maven can have a bargaining power with the Scarlet Guard. Cameron swiftly puts an end to this.
Et Tu, Brute?: Was rather mad that Cameron joined the Scarlet Guard, whom the Nortan government had described to him as nothing more than an anarchist organization, though he eventually reconciles with her.
Half-Identical Twins: Cameron mentions that she and Morrey are lookalikes.

Silvers

Prince Tiberias Calore the Seventh (Cal)

The crown prince and son of the king and his deceased first wife, Corianne. Cal helps Mare avoid future conscription by getting her a job as a servant in the Hall of the Sun, the summer palace of his family. He shows shades of disagreement with the way Silvers have historically treated Reds, but is conflicted about the best way to create change without making the situation even worse.

And Now for Someone Completely Different: Becomes a viewpoint character for several chapters in War Storm.
Arranged Marriage: With Evangeline. Twice.
Babies Ever After: The epilogue of Broken Throne states that he and Mare marry and have two children together.
Betty and Veronica: The Veronica to Mare's Archie and Maven's Betty until the latter's true intentions are revealed. At the same time, he's also the Betty to Mare's Archie and Kilorn's Veronica and the Archie to Mare's Betty and Evangeline's Veronica, though both have periods of not wanting anything to do with him.
Break the Cutie: He goes through a hell of this when he's forced to kill his father and it goes downhill from there.
Chick Magnet: Young women literally compete for the chance to become his wife and the future queen of Norta.
King Incognito: Cal often runs away from his family to temporarily walk amongst his people.
My Greatest Failure: He blames himself for not saving Maven from Elara's mind manipulation before it's too late. Maven constantly pointing this out against him doesn't make him feel better, either.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: He gives Mare money and later saves her from conscription, and is shown to be good-mannered to everyone else, including Maven. He even supplies Mare with information about the kingdom's workings. In return, he is aroused to kill his father and finds out that Mare is manipulating him all the time and Maven being the one who engineers all of this, as he wants to become a king through shady ways.
Not in This for Your Revolution: After the events of the first book, he's roped into helping out the Red Guard but he's only really in it for the chance at revenge against Maven and Elara. He grows out of this, eventually.
Official Couple: With Mare.
Patricide: But not of his own volition.
Playing with Fire: Can control fire, but cannot generate it. Inherited this ability from his father, King Tiberias.
Riches to Rags: From heir apparent to a top-class fugitive.
- Rags to Riches: Then he ascends to his rightful throne at the end of King's Cage, thanks to his grandmother's deal with Volo Samos.
Star-Crossed Lovers: See Mare's entry above.
Tall, Dark, and Handsome: Again, the reason why noble women of Norta are gagaing over him.
Warrior Prince: Cal has been honing his abilities since a young age and has been on the battlefront against the Lakelanders.

Prince Maven Calore

Cal's younger half-brother and son of Queen Elara. Maven feels like he liives in his older brother's shadow and desires more for himself. He is sympathetic to the Red rebellion and joins up with the Red Guard to help provide Silver intel.

A Child Shall Lead Them: Ascends to the throne at the age of seventeen.
And Now for Someone Completely Different: Becomes a viewpoint character for a few chapters at the end of War Storm.
Antagonistic Offspring: To King Tiberias.
Arranged Marriage: After the events of Queenstrial, Maven is forcefully engaged to Mare to help keep her secret under wraps. Once he becomes king, he is first matched with Evangeline, then Iris Cygnet, which sticks.
Big Bad: Everything bad in the series that happens to the main characters is because of Maven and his mother. With Elara dead in the second book, Maven steps into the villain throne big time. Helps that he also tops the list of Mare's and Cal's personal must-kill list.
Broken Bird: As the series goes on, he gradually displays shades of this as just what his mother did to him is revealed.
Cain and Abel: The Cain to Cal's Abel, though Maven's the younger one.
Crazy Jealous Guy: To Mare.
Defector from Decadence: Joins the Scarlet Guard so he can help topple down the monarchy and bring equality to both races. Nope. If there's anyone even more decadent, he is.
The Dreaded: Becomes one after he ascends to the throne. The prison wardens at the high-security prison are instantly frozen in fear when what seems to be his voice talks to them.
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: Has a loving relationship with his mother, from whom he probably inherited his wickedness. When Mare goes so far as to parade her body on live television, he's pissed off. After her death, it increasingly becomes questionable just how much of this was willing on his part and how much of it was her quite literally messing with his head.
Expy: Of Joffrey Baratheon.
The Evil Prince: Once his true motive is revealed.
Faux Affably Evil: See his mother's entry below.
Playing with Fire: Like Cal, Maven has the ability to control fire.
More than Mind Control: It's revealed in the third book that Elara practically shaped his mind almost from birth and removing parts of his mind that she considered bad, like his love for his father and brother, to the point he himself doesn't know what parts of his mind are truly his and which are his mother's doing, even after her death.
Royal Brat: Fully self-centered, and becomes king through unjustified means. How much of that is actually him and not his mother's manipulations is unknown.
Shrinking Violet: Is one at the time of his engagement to Mare. Not really, of course.
The Unfavorite: Views himself as this in comparison to his older brother.
Walking Spoiler: Just notice how much is spoilered out. It's because of a certain reveal at the climax of the first book.
Manipulative Bastard: He manipulated a lots of people during the whole series.
Deadpan Snarker: Even when he was captured and sentenced to death he was sarcastic and snarky.

Queen Elara Merandus

Member of House Merandus, Queen of Norta, and mother of Prince Maven. Elara married the king after the death of his first wife.

Black Widow: Elara only married King Tiberias so she could kill him discreetly and install her son, Maven, on the throne. It's heavily implied she even caused the previous queen to commit suicide so she could marry Tiberias.
Compelling Voice: Her Whisper ability allows her to turn other people into her puppets. Note that they are fully conscious while doing so.
The Dreaded: Even more than Maven, because Elara has the ability to manipulate people to do her bidding.
Faux Affably Evil: Always speaks in a sweet tone, but what comes out of her mouth almost always has nasty impacts.
Good Parents: She has a loving relationship with Maven. Towards Cal on the other hand...
- However, King's Cage reveals that Maven probably endured more abuse that Cal ever experienced, as she quite literally messed with his head to mold him into what she wanted him to be.
High-Voltage Death: At the hands of Mare.
Killed Offscreen: The last time Mare saw Elara alive is when she escapes from her prison. Elara's dead afterward. Averted during King's Cage, albeit in flashback form, as Elara's nephew Samson forces Mare to remember killing Elara.
The Man Behind the Man: Engineers the processes that would ultimately make Cal kill his father and Maven ascend to the throne.
My Beloved Smother: Her unhealthy control over her son is almost singlehandedly responsible for turning him into the jerk he is now. It's not in a figurative sense, either. She deliberately and literally messed with his mind to do so.
Telepathy: Is a Whisper with the power to read and control minds.
Wicked Stepmother: To Cal.

King Tiberias Calore the Sixth

The king of Norta at the beginning of the series. He has married twice: the first to Coriane Jacos that led to Cal's birth, and the second to Elara Merandus, leading to Maven's birth.

Alas, Poor Villain: While he is no saint, you can't help but pity him when his beloved son is forced to kill him.
Good Parents: To his children, or at least to Cal.
Marry for Love: His marriage to Coriane was for love, which is very unusual in the history of the Nortan monarchy.
Off with His Head!: How he meets his demise.
Parental Favoritism: He favors Cal over Maven, probably because the former is his son from his beloved wife, rather than an arranged (and batshit evil) wife.
Playing with Fire: Cal and Maven's pyrokinetic powers are inherited from him.

Evangeline Samos

A member of House Samos and Cal's fiancee after winning Queenstrial. She and the rest of the visiting nobles stick around the Hall of the Sun until the Parting Ball, participating in training sessions and social events.

Alpha Bitch: Leads a mean girl squad that frequently antagonizes Mare.
And Now for Someone Completely Different: Three chapters near the end of King's Cage are narrated from her perspective. It can throw readers off-guard, since they'll be expecting Cameron to do that. She gets several more chapters during War Storm.
Arranged Marriage: Even Evangeline herself states that she is groomed since young to marry royalty, regardless if she loves them or not, or if they know that she's a lesbian. She is first wedded to Cal, then Maven, then back to Cal again.
The Beard: Was planning to use Cal or Maven, whichever one she married, to cover her relationship with Elane.
Berserk Button: Don't hurt her brother or Elane.
But Not Too Gay: Actually averted. In Iron Heart, she and Elane are the midst of the Second Base before stopping themselves, but this is coming from a series that is G-rated in terms of descriptive physical intimacy.
Character Development: She gains a lot of development in War Storm. While she might be sassy about it, she grows less racist against Reds and wholeheartedly accepts Montfort as her home. She becomes Montford's top diplomat and arranges for the reconstruction of the Nortan States.
Heel–Face Turn: The entirety of War Storm is basically Evangeline undergoing a process to do this.
In-Series Nickname: "Eve".
Magnetism Manipulation: Is a Magnetron with the power to control metal. Knives are a particular favorite of hers.
Professional Butt-Kisser: Seems to be this. While in Red Queen, she targets anyone who threatens her hold on Cal, in Glass Sword, she targets anyone who threatens her hold on Maven, to the point of targeting Maven himself by freeing Mare in response to his scorning her for Princess Iris.
Rebellious Princess: During the second half of King's Cage, Evangeline gains a measure of freedom and the crown she'd always wanted through her father declaring independence from Norta instead of marrying her off, allowing her to take on shades of this when she's re-engaged to Cal. She spends the entirety of War Storm trying to get out of it.
Relationship Reveal: Secretly in a relationship with Elane, which is only revealed near the end of King's Cage.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Considers this for much of War Storm, even receiving an offer of assistance from the Premier, but only acts on it at the end, fleeing to Montfort with Elane and Ptolemus.
Shipper with an Agenda: She is a huge part of Cal and Mare getting back together in War Storm, mainly because she saw it as a way of getting out of her engagement to Cal.
Vitriolic Best Buds: She and Mare eventually become this.
Yandere: Evangeline is violently protective of her engagement to Cal. The attention is shifted to Maven in Glass Sword, until he scorns her for Princess Iris. Her motivations are further explored in King's Cage and War Storm as she gradually sheds this behavior.

Lucas Samos

Evangeline's cousin tasked to be a prison guard for Mare, with whom he later befriends.

Defiant to the End: Will never succumb to Maven's rule even in the face of death.
Magnetism Manipulation: A family trait.
Was It All a Lie?: Laments on Mare's lies, which leads to the king's death and Maven's ascension to power, asking if her friendship with him is a ploy and whether she likes being lied to herself. This hits Mare hard.

Julian Jacos

The last member of House Jacos and Cal's uncle, specifically, he is a brother of Cal's mother, Coriane. He is also a royal librarian of Norta.

Badass Bookworm: Being a librarian and a Silver Elite definitely qualify.
Charm Person: His silver ability. It's called "Singing".
The Dreaded: Due to his ability, which is feared as much as Whispers are. Rightfully so, as he can even make someone commit suicide using it.
Last of His Kind: The last member of House Jacos still possessing their signature singing power. As powers are passed down through the father's bloodline, other members, such as Cal, don't inherit it.
Mentor Archetype: He is one to Mare, later becoming one to Cal in opposition to Anabel Lerolan.
Mentor Occupational Hazard: Narrowly subverted. While Mare fears that Julian has been executed by Maven for treachery, he is merely imprisoned at Corros Prison. She later frees him from there.
Parental Substitute: He effectively replaces his sister's role as mother in Cal's life.

Sara Skonos

A healer and a good friend of Julian and Coriane Jacos. She knows the truth about Coriane's death, which is why Elara cut out her tongue to silence her.

Healing Hands: Her silver ability.
Tongue Trauma: Elara mutilated her tongue so she can't speak up about the truth of Coriane's death. Reversed by another healer near the end of King's Cage, as Elara's dead by that point.
What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?: In a world where everyone can bend metal, manipulate people, and control fire, Sara is given the power of healing others. However, Mare has frequently longed for Sara's help in curing her wounds after battle. Not to mention that without her, the Silver Elites wouldn't be able to continue their wars.

Rane Arven

A Silver Elite tasked to teach aspiring Silver Elites.

Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Gets skewered by a pipe while he is busy silencing Mare.
Power Nullifier: His silver power. It can even disable Mare's lightning.
Stern Teacher: While not an outright sadist, he treats his pupils rather coldly.

Ara Iral

The head of House Iral who inherits her family's signature silk power. She is famed for having sabotaged many Lakelander camps during the Nortan campaign.

Heel–Face Turn: While Red Queen establishes her as an enigmatic person who questions Mare's truth, Glass Sword reveals that Ara does not support Maven's enthronement and deliberately allows Mare and company to escape from Corros Prison.
Never Mess with Granny: With a reputation as a successful saboteur, not even old age can dampen her.
Off with His Head!: Decapitated by a metal flown by Ptolemus.
Red Baron: Gets called "the Panther" for her contributions.
Super-Reflexes: Her silver ability.

Ptolemus Samos

Evangeline's older brother and an elite guard of the king of Norta.

The Beard: He was planned to be one for Elane, so that she wouldn't have to separate from Evangeline.
Big Brother Instinct: A villainous example. No, don't hurt Evangeline, ever.
Hero Killer: Kills Shade Barrow in Glass Sword, though not intentionally.
Heel–Face Turn: In War Storm.
In-Series Nickname: "Tolly".
Magnetism Manipulation: Like his sister..
Praetorian Guard: For the king of Norta.
Reformed, but Rejected: Despite settling in Montfort and generally becoming a better person, both Ptolemus and his sister agree that Farley will never forgive him for killing Shade. Mare is less vengeful, but she is glad that Ptolemus still keeps a distance from her every time they meet.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Joins Evangeline in leaving for Montfort at the end of War Storm.

Samson Merandus

Maven's cousin who participates in the August Feats of First Friday in the Stilts. He later steps up as leader of his House after Elara's death.

Chekhov's Gunman: Initially thought to be a one-shot character who appears in the first book to show how the Silvers are different from the Reds, he has a far more important role in the third book.
Compelling Voice: As a Merandus.
Cold-Blooded Torture: Does this to Mare and no doubt other people as well.
The Dreaded: Tends to make those he tortures frozen by his mere presence. Mare, for example.
Evil Vizier: Tries to act as one to Maven, but the latter is smart enough to repel his influence using the Silent Stone throne.
High-Voltage Death: By Mare.
Mind Rape: He not only likes digging up secrets, but to torture people with their harshest memories, as well.

Volo Samos

The head of House Samos and Evangeline and Ptolemus' father. Later King of the Rift.

Driven to Suicide: Commits suicide at the end of War Storm, though he is manipulated by Julian into doing so.
Magnetism Manipulation: As a Samos.
The Starscream: While other rebellious Silver Elites simply want Maven to be toppled and Cal to ascend to Norta's throne, Volo outright wants to reign on a property of himself.
Surrounded by Idiots: Loathes the decadence and courtesy that Silver Elites employ.
You Have Failed Me: To Salin, whom he strips of his titles, because of the latter's inability to capture Maven.

Elane Haven

Evangeline's best friend/significant other and Ptolemus' betrothed.

Casting a Shadow: Capable of manipulating light for various purposes, such as making herself invisible.
Invisibility: As a Shadow.
Praetorian Guard: In Iron Heart, she is offered by Premier Davidson a job as his guard and spy.
Relationship Reveal: Elane and Evangeline are actually lovers. Elane agrees to marry Ptolemus so she can officially be a part of House Samos, while Evangeline willingly throws away her betrothal to Maven so she doesn't have to stay at Archeon.
Stealth Hi/Bye: Likes to reveal and bury her presence discreetly using her power.

Sonya Iral

One of the candidates for the Queenstrial and Evangeline's friend.

Social Circle Filler: To Evangeline, who thinks that Sonya is merely a friend that she ought to make at Norta. Once she becomes princess of the Rift, she doesn't need her anymore.
Super-Reflexes

Wren Skonos

Official healer of Norta who associates herself with the House Samos. Revealed to be Ptolemus' significant other during War Storm.

Defector from Decadence: The Skonos isn't one of the Nortan Silver Elites to rebel against Maven, but she nevertheless follows the Samos (Evangeline and Ptolemus, in particular), who does.
Healing Hands: Like other Skonos.
Satellite Character: Has little characterization beyond being Evangeline's and Elane's friend and Ptolemus' girlfriend.

Salin Iral

The son of Ara Iral, whom he replaces as head of the House after her death.

Character Death: His Offscreen Moment of Awesome eventually results in him being handed over to the Lakelanders as part of a trade and drowned.
Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Is able to kill Orrec Cygnet, the King of Lakelands himself. Most notably, this is treated as a bad thing, and eventually gets him killed as well.
Super-Reflexes: Family trait.

King Orrec Cygnet and Queen Cenra Cygnet

The king and queen of the Lakelands. Cenra is the queen regnant.

Good Parents: Iris and Tiora view them in a good light.
God Save Us from the Queen!: Both are feared in their country. Orrec once inundated an entire region and killed thousands of Reds simply because they happened to be the home of some of the Scarlet Guard's operatives.
Happily Married: As War Storm shows, Orrec and Cenra certainly married for love.
Henpecked Husband: Some dialogues subtly imply that Orrec is this, as other characters seem to fear his wife more than him. War Storm outright mentions that his wife Cenra is the actual ruler of the Lakelands, as he came from a lesser branch of the family while hers was the royal bloodline.
Killed Offscreen: Salin offhandedly claims responsibility for killing Cygnet during the siege of Corvium in King's Cage. It only earns him wrath from Volo, and eventually results in his death as well.
Kissing Cousins: Both are Cygnets by birth. Cenra is from the ruling branch, while Orrec is from the cadet branch.
Making a Splash: As Cygnets. Of course, it's deliberately made to contrast with the power of Norta's ruling family.
Mama Bear: By Lakelander law, the heir apparent is not under any circumstances allowed to leave the kingdom's borders, yet even without the law, it's likely that Cenra would not allow her children to leave her presence, judging by the conversation they have after Orrec's funeral. At the climax of War Storm, she cancels the invasion after seeing the Nortan reinforcements to protect Iris from being involved further.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Cenra will do all she can to put her husband's murderers, both directly and indirectly, to justice. By the end of War Storm, she has accomplished the feat.
Unholy Matrimony: Nearly everyone in the Lakelands fear them, but privately, they are a loving bunch.
Villain: Exit, Stage Left: After seeing the Scarlet Guard and Montfort's forces during the invasion of Archeon, Cenra decides that having Volo's murdered body is already worth it and skedaddles.

Princess Iris Cygnet

The princess and heir presumptive of the Lakelands. She is the daughter of Orrec and Cenra Cygnet.

Affably Evil: She acts civil to Mare and doesn't hesitate to reveal how her kingdom differs from Norta.
Arranged Marriage: Her father arranges for her to marry Maven to seal the peace treaty.
Making a Splash: The Cygnet's distinctive power.
Manipulative Bastard: Iris maneuvers herself into leading the rescue of Prince Bracken's children, bringing Piedmont over to Maven's side, then deftly manipulates Maven into attending his own capture before handing him over to Cal in trade for Salin Iral and eventually Volo Samos.

Larentia Viper

Volo's wife and Evangeline and Ptolemus' mother. Later Queen of the Rift.

The Beastmaster: Can order animals to assist her. Whenever she appears, she is almost never without an animal, be they snakes, panthers, or wolves. The only time an animal is not present with her is during her last meeting with Evangeline.
Have You Tried Not Being a Monster?: She constantly gives Eveangeline grief over her romantic prefrences.
I Have No Son!: She disowns her children after Evangeline insists that she will support the Nortan States and not claim her right as queen.
Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Has porcelain skin and raven hair.
Screw This, I'm Outta Here: After the Scarlet Guard claims Fort Patriot, she is influenced by Julian into leaving.
Speaks Fluent Animal: Her animos ability comes with the perk of being able to communicate with animals.
Tough Love: To her children. While she loves them, she still treats them as mere potential bride and ruler, because that's simply how the Silver Elite world functions.

Queen Anabel Lerolan

Queen dowager of Norta, the wife of Tiberias Calore V, mother of Tiberias Calore VI and grandmother to Cal and Maven.

Affectionate Nickname: Cal calls her "Nanabel".
Almighty Mom: It can be inferred who wore the pants of her marriage. Her son, Tiberias VI, is also rather meek for a king, and it's implied that before his second marriage that she served as her son's adviser. Once her son and both daughters-in-law die and one of her grandsons runs away, she wastes no time taking control of affairs.
Defrosting Ice Queen: Although she might not like Mare, she eventually gives Cal her blessing to find his own happiness, implicitly referring to him getting together with Mare.
Having a Blast: As an oblivian, she can make things explode through touch alone.
Mentor Archetype: Becomes one to Cal, in opposition to Julian.
Never Mess with Granny: One of the oldest Silver Elites we see, she can shut down everyone in a room when she voices her opinion (though her oblivian ability might have something to do with it). Then there's her secret arrangement for Maven to be deposed and Cal to take his rightful throne, with Evangeline as bride, and her second secret arrangement to trade Salin Iral and eventually Volo Samos to the Lakelanders for Maven.
Obnoxious In-Laws: To Elara, whom she specifically hates for manipulating Tiberias VI so much that she chooses to retreat to her Delphie residence so can be away from her whispers.
Reasonable Authority Figure: She is surprisingly level-headed for an aging Silver Elite. She did not mind her husband taking in a male paramour and even defended him from the court's gossip and hostility. She is willing to ally with the Scarlet Guard and Montfort, and by extension the Reds, over Maven, her grandson, whom she rightly views is an authoritarian leader and must be stopped. While she is the first to break relations with the Scarlet Guard afterward, she is also the first to voice her regret at their severed alliance and wastes no time getting their help to depose Volo and protect Norta from the Lakelander force. Finally, although she is angry at first, she comes to accept Cal's abdication and tells him that, instead of always trying to give others happiness, he should find happiness for his own.
Retired Badass: Just because she retires peacefully to a place other than the capital doesn't mean that she loses her experience as queen. She points this out when Volo and Larentia, now rulers of the Rift attempt to discredit and retire her once again. She officially unretires to mentor Cal into taking the throne.

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